


Love Bites

by SinMint



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Percico - Freeform, Set between HoO and ToA, Sort Of, love bug au, minimal angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 01:17:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12495176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinMint/pseuds/SinMint
Summary: Percy's been bitten by a Love Bug.





	Love Bites

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading a lot of Love Bug AUs in the Voltron fandom and I messed around a bit with this idea :)

Nico hated mornings. Especially those mornings when he had to train kids.  
He meant, okay, he didn't really _hate_ them. He liked training kids. He ~~loved~~ liked kids. He liked to teach them how to spar, to see their little minds focusing.  
But the kids hated him and constantly complained how they didn't want to practice with Nico. Which kind of sucked when they did it all the time.

Percy, on the other hand, was an immediate celebrity between the kids (and the adults too). People crowded around him, teeming like a mass of flies even though he was awkward and often looked visibly tired. It seemed exhausting.  
Sometimes, he would catch Nico staring, and Nico would glare back until he turned away. They never talked.  
This also sucked. Big time.

"Right," Percy said on one of those rare days when they would have a decent conversation. It was always about the lessons, though, since they both had sparring lessons and split the days based on their moods, "so, you don't wanna teach them today?"  
"No,"  
"And uh, why not?"  
"Do you always need a reason?"  
"Um, sorry, I guess not." Percy grinned, a little flustered, "alright, see you later,"  
"Okay" Nico said.  
Percy waved at him, but then suddenly flinched and slapped his neck.  
"Ouch,"  
"Are you okay?" Nico asked, startled, "what happened?"  
"I think a bug bit me," Percy muttered, rubbing his neck and looking at his hand, which was empty. His brows were furrowed and lip pursed. Nico didn't know how someone could make a face like that and still look half as amazing.  
"Let me have a look," Nico said, hesitating.  
"Yeah, I- Yeah," Percy bent down and dropped his head. Nico swallowed, his throat closing up as his heart sped up. This was probably the closest he could ever get to the guy. It felt thrilling.  
_Shut up_ , Nico told himself, feeling a little guilty. Percy wanted someone to look at the wound, not a creepy admirer.  
And yes, there was a small swollen welt on his neck, and a puncture wound with a little blood oozing out. The skin was inflamed and looked painful.  
"Yep, it bit you alright" Nico said, gulping again to clear his throat, "do you wanna go to Chiron or lay in today?"  
"Nah, I can handle it," Percy straightened, blushing a little, "it's only a bug,"  
Nico's heart skipped a beat. This was ridiculous. He couldn't take more of this.  
"If you say so,"  
Percy suddenly looked a little shy, "b-but if you don't mind, uh, would you like toteachthekidstogether??"  
"What?" Nico asked. Percy was acting weird. Well, weirder than usual.  
"Nothing!" He blushed harder, pointing his thumb towards his back, "I, uh, I'll get going!! Bye, Nico!"  
Nico waved at him, feeling baffled.

 

Nico was in his room, bored out of his mind. He still had 2 hours to kill until lunch and no one to spend them with. He had just cleaned his room, something he had been putting off for _weeks_ , and now he hated himself for taking today's classes off.  
His tummy rumbled.  
He got up from the bed, straightening his bedsheet, and put his sword into the sheath. He wanted something to eat.  
He opened the door to go outside, and yelped. Percy was standing there, his hand raised as if to knock. Percy opened his mouth, but then closed it again, a blush rising on his cheeks.  
"Percy?"  
"Yeah, I, um, do you wanna hang out in your cabin?"  
Something was wrong. Percy never asked him to hang out. And Percy NEVER blushed.  
~~Not that Nico was complaining~~  
"Yeah, sure, come in," Nico said, thankful that he'd just cleaned his room. The children Percy was supposed to be teaching were running around outside, "you let the kids off early,"

"Very observant," Percy remarked, grinning, and Nico ducked his head in embarrassment.

"You're adorable," Percy said and took Nico's face in his hands. Nico's eyes widened. He grabbed Percy's hands and practically shoved him away. Percy's face fell.  
"What are you doing?!"  
"I'm sorry!" Percy apologized sincerely, looking worried and gesturing vaguely, "you're just so amazing, I- I couldn't, y'know,"  
"Right, I'm amazing," Nico said flatly. Something was definitely wrong. No one ever wanted to touch him. And no one ever, ever called him amazing. Especially not Percy.

Said person was already sitting on his bed, frowning, "Hey, if you think you're not, I'll tell you how awesome you are everyday until you believe me, okay?"  
"Of course,"  
"What do you wanna do?"  
"I... Don't know?" Nico dragged the words. Should he go to Chiron? Or ask his dad? His father was probably busy, but so was Chiron. Was this serious enough to talk to him?  
"Let's just sit here and talk?" Percy smiled, patting the place next to him. Nico looked at him then back at the door. His stomach flipped when he saw Percy on _his_ bed, smiling so widely at _him_. He knew he should tell someone about this, but he couldn't bring himself to. Whatever happened to Percy, it might never happen again. And Nico felt this was a chance at something he would never get again.

Guiltily, he sat next to him, a little apprehensive of the distance. He could barely, but still, feel Percy's warmth. Nico could almost convince himself that this was just a fantastic dream.

"This is a bit awkward," Percy laughed bashfully, "I didn't think it out, I'm sorry,"  
"No, it's ok." Nico smiled at him.  
"You're beautiful, you know that? You look like an angel." Percy said, still smiling. Nico couldn't keep his blush down if he tried.  
"You know what? Let's go to the beach! It's a date!"  
"What?" Nico squawked, then covered his mouth. He should _definitely_ go tell someone now. "I- I mean, let's go to Chiron first!"  
Percy looked confused, as if Nico was the one who was acting weird, "why?"  
"Cuz uh, because we have to bring some strawberries! Yeah! A- a picnic on the beach? Let's borrow a basket from him?" Nico grabbed for an excuse, "then we can enjoy our, um, whatever,"  
"Great idea, Nico!" Percy jumped up, his face lighting up as if Nico had just said the brightest idea in the world. He bent down to hug Nico tightly and then skipped to the door. Nico felt lightheaded and puzzled. Had he missed something at camp? Was this really happening?  
"Are you going to sit there all day?" Percy asked, learning against the doorframe. His face was framed in the light, casting beautiful shadows across his face and body. He looked beautiful, smiling and relaxed.  
Thinking of it, Nico wasn't sure he had ever seen a Percy who was this happy, really. Percy was always very sarcastic, and generally had an aura of 'the troubled kid' around him which made him feel sort of unapproachable. It was one of the reasons Nico had never had a decent conversation with him. He also made very few efforts to actually seek out people out of his close group.  
But now? Nico was confused since Percy was breaking almost every image of him that Nico had in his mind.  
~~Except the one that he was the most beautiful guy in the world~~  
"Yup, let's go meet Chiron."

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something I'm writing in my free time :)  
> Please leave a comment!


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